The latest transcripts submitted by Rabia Khan to the Bombay high court might change the course of the Ghajini actor’s death case

Rabia Khan seems to be hell bent on proving that her daughter Jiah Khan’s alleged suicide was actually a planned murder. She has conducted a sting operation on the eight prime witnesses, whom the police used in order to prove that the Nishabd actor’s death was a suicide. All of these eight people had given statements which corroborated to the fact that the Housefull actor had killed herself.

Rabia’s new transcripts – which she had submitted to the Bombay high court demanding a fresh investigation – shows these prime witnesses turned hostile and changed their statement. If we recall, Jiah was found hanging in her Juhu flat late on June 3, 2013. An FIR was registered stating that Sooraj Pancholi had abetted the suicide after which, but the high court later granted him bail.

The eight witnesses include actor Anju Mahendroo – the first to arrive on the scene; Dr Ramesh Aggarwal – the first doctor to reach Jiah’s home; Dr Rahul Datta – the doctor to tell police that Jiah had suicidal tendencies; the building watchman; and two florists from whose shop, a bouquet was sent to Jiah the night she was found dead. The petition also seeks a stay on any measures taken against Jiah’s ex-boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi, who is the only accused in the case. Rabia has accused him of rape and forceful abortion as well.

Rabia has requested the court to transfer the case to a Special Investigation Team as there was a lurking possibility of it being a planned murder. Advocate Dinesh Tiwari informed that these recorded statements falsify the police claims of Jiah’s death being a suicide and strengthens Rabia’s claim of it being a murder. Talking to a leading daily Rabia informed, “I always knew my daughter was not depressed and she could not have committed suicide, but people kept saying things. I wanted to find out what is it that these people know but I don’t. I did not expect the police authorities to help me. Therefore, I did this (sting) so that people can know the truth.”

The late actor’s mother was asked to record a fresh statement after she cried murder. Here’s what Rabia Amin Khan had to say

The Jiah Khan suicide case had taken a new turn when the Ghajini actor’s mother Rabia Amin Khan alleged that her daughter was murdered. Her lawyer had even produced forensic evidence to support the claim. Last week, the Bombay High Court had asked the Juhu Police to record Rabia’s statement on October 26. Rabia reached the police station at 11am on the day and recorded her statement alleging that her child was killed by someone close to her.

What exactly did Jiah’s mother Rabia Khan say in her statement?

Rabia raised the following points, reiterating her earlier claims:

- If Jiah had indeed hung herself, why was there no damage to her lungs or her brain, as normally happens in such cases?

- Neither were Jiah’s eyes popping out nor was her tongue sticking out, which should’ve been he case if she had hung from the ceiling fan.

- The late actor’s body also showed some injury marks – on the right side of her lips and on her left arm – denoting that she might have been assaulted.

- The wounds on Jiah’s neck were deep enough to not support the police report that she had used a soft muslin dupatta to hang herself.

- The ceiling fan was between two beds and Jiah could not have hung herself without a stool to support her.

- The CCTV footage showed Jiah entering her house in a track suit, but minutes later she was found dead in a night gown.

- There were blood stains in the room where Jiah’s body was found, and also the adjoining room. The police did not investigate this further.

Prime suspect

Actor Aditya Pancholi’s son Suraj Pancholi, who was Jiah’s boyfriend at the time she died, was the prime suspect for abetment of suicide and was in police custody before being granted bail by the Bombay High Court. But now the case has a new twist with the murder claim.